CopyRight Laws

I hope I can ask this here. I did check the forums rules and there was nothing in there about Copyright laws. So, anyway. Can anyone give me a rundown why you can't get in trouble using slysoft or any other DVD/CD copying software? You look at some of these torrent web sites and some of them are shut down or give warnings that NO United States Users due to Copyright infringement laws....yada yada yada...you get the point. Can someone point me to actual proof, that copying without charing for it, is legal?

I hope I can ask this here. I did check the forums rules and there was nothing in there about Copyright laws. So, anyway. Can anyone give me a rundown why you can't get in trouble using slysoft or any other DVD/CD copying software? You look at some of these torrent web sites and some of them are shut down or give warnings that NO United States Users due to Copyright infringement laws....yada yada yada...you get the point. Can someone point me to actual proof, that copying without charing for it, is legal?

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I don't believe the act of copying the movie is against the law, it's bypassing the copy protection to be able to copy the movie. There would be no sense in trying to prosecute someone for making a back-up of their legally owned DVD since that could not be construed as piracy. Downloading movies off the internet or copying in mass quantities to sell as original, is. Some sites have been closed down because their product could bypass copy protection or be used to copy in mass quantities. Virtually any product can be used for good or bad. Just depends on who is using it and for what reason.

There would be no sense in trying to prosecute someone for making a back-up of their legally owned DVD since that could not be construed as piracy.

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Let the movie studios know, or send the FBI a letter, telling them you're making backups of legally owned dvds, and see what happens.

The main reason Slysoft is able to stay out of trouble, is because they're based in a country, where backups are legal.

You are right about bypassing the copy protection, being the illegal part. But, since all movies now have copy protection on the discs, they are very much illegal to copy, since you have to bypass the CP to make the backup. You own the disc, not the movie. The studios own the movie. They don't actively pursue us that make backups, because in the back of their minds, I think they understand why we do it, IMO anyway. I may be wrong about why.......

It's easier to track down downloaders, by their IP address. They need people to report who's backing up discs, because they have no other way of knowing. I reported some movie pirates, to local police, about 2 yrs. ago. They were selling their copies at a flea market in town. The cops never did anything...............

I hope I can ask this here. I did check the forums rules and there was nothing in there about Copyright laws. So, anyway. Can anyone give me a rundown why you can't get in trouble using slysoft or any other DVD/CD copying software? You look at some of these torrent web sites and some of them are shut down or give warnings that NO United States Users due to Copyright infringement laws....yada yada yada...you get the point. Can someone point me to actual proof, that copying without charing for it, is legal?

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I'm currently researching this further globally, but basically to give you a very brief overview of the laws I'm already familiar with:

1. USA - the DMCA makes it illegal to circumvent ANY copy protections found on digital works, including region coding, css, aacs, etc. Thus a corporation can bring charges against an individual for doing so. This generally overrides any "fair use" copying, so even if you're allowed to copy something for fair use it can still be illegal to decrypt it. If this slysoft site existed in a USA datacentre then it could be taken down for multiple violations of the DMCA.
2. Australia - passed similar but more relaxed legislation, so that essentially it's illegal to decrypt digital works unless doing so under an exemption (reason listed in the legislation) - for instance, doing so to circumvent region coding or to allow the work to be used on "incompatible hardware" (defeating ICT) would be legal. However it is technically illegal to sell software or hardware/tools that allow someone to do so. This is partly why Game Jackel had to be sold to.
3. Antigua (where Slysoft is) - very relaxed copyright laws, there's seems to be no laws I know of that would make circumventing any form of copy-protection illegal - although I'm sure Slysoft could correct me.
4. Canada (where the Slysoft site is) - again, very relaxed when it comes to circumventing copyrights. If any complaints could be made and legally up-held against this site and it's activities then it would be taken down (off the Canadian datacentre anyway).

mmdavis said:

I don't believe the act of copying the movie is against the law

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Let me clarify this:

1. USA - the act of copying a movies is against the law.
2. Australia - the act of copying a movies is against the law.
3. Antigua - I don't know, probably not illegal.
4. Canada - yes, it is legal.

I hope this answers your question. Of course not everything that's technically illegal is prosecuted, nor does it necessarily mean it's a bad thing.

jvc said:

But, since all movies now have copy protection on the discs, they are very much illegal to copy, since you have to bypass the CP to make the backup.

It looks like Canada is on the way to passing their own "DMCA". I won't speculate as to how restrictive it will be, but it's suffice to say that the USA raised the bar high being the first to legislate the anti-copyprotection-circumvention laws, so Canada may well pass something very similar - or they may pass something a little more flexible. Either way the legislation is coming.